Traveling case with ironing board feature



April 29, 1969 F. MABEN 3,441,112

' TRAVELING CASE WITH IRONING BOARD'FEATURE Filed Nov. 29. 1967 INVENTOR.

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Roman M55112.

United States Patent 3,441,112 TRAVELING CASE WITH IRONING BOARD FEATURE Florabel Maben, 1405 W. Center St., Visalia, Calif. 93277 Filed Nov. 29, 1967, Ser. No. 686,423 Int. Cl. A47b 3/10; D06f 81/00 US. Cl. 190-11 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE My present invention relates to hand baggage and more particularly to a traveling case for feminine wearing apparel having an ironing board feature.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a light weight piece of hand baggage having a closure portion which can be used with a slip cover as an ironing board when extended into its fully open position.

Another object is to provide a traveling case for light weight feminine apparel having two ironing board features, one for ironing fiat portions of a garment and the other of which is adapted for ironing sleeves and the like of a garment.

Other objects and advantages will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the traveling case with the cover in its partially open position,

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the cover portion in its fully open position for use as an ironing board,

FIG. 3 is a bracket-like member for supporting the cover in an operative position when fully open, and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the carrying case when fully closed. I

At the present time the traveling public is taking more and more to the air and due to the limitations as to weight of baggage, the female traveler is confronted with the problem of keeping up appearances with a minimum of changes. While there are many garments of the wash and wear type which do not require ironing, there are many situations where the wrinkling of a garment may prove embarrassing. This difiiculty is overcome by my invention as it provides a suitable case for wearing apparel together with a practical ironing board which, with a conventional travel iron, can be conveniently employed at a destination with the result that appearances may be kept up reasonably well.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawing wherein the numeral designates a body portion of a traveling case having two closure formng portions 11 and 12 that are connected to the body portion 10, as at 13, with a conventional piano type hinge. When fully opened these cover portions 11 and 12 will provide ironing board 3,441 ,l 12 Patented Apr. 29, 1969 ice members that will extend in coplanar relation with the open type of body portion 10 of the traveling case. At the opposite end of the body portion 10 there is a conventional carrying handle v14 together with suitable latching elements 15 and 16 that will serve to respectively hold the cover portions 11 and 12 in their closed positions. When opened the cover portion 11 will be held in coplanar relation with the case 10 by a bracket forming box-like member 17 as shown in FIG. 3. This box-like member has slots 18 at its ends to accommodate a padded ironing board cover 19 as shown, by dot and dash lines, in FIG. 2. Similarly, when the cover portion 12 is fully opened a similar stocking-like padded covering will be disposed thereover. When opened and provided with the padding the cover portion -11 will provide an ironing board surface for fiat wear, and the cover portion 12, when thus equipped with the padding, will provide an ironing board for the shoulders and sleeves of a garment.

The complete traveling case 10 will include the padded ironing board covers which, for convenience, may be rolled up or folded and carried in the bracket forming box 17 where they will be held apart from the wearing apparel contained in the main portion of the case. As illustrated, the packing case 10 has a longitudinally extending partition 20 that will serve to provide a long narrow compartment under the cover portion 12 with a wider garment accommodating portion under the cover 11. However, it will be understood that this partition 20 may be omitted if desired. As shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing, the packing case 10 is adapted to be carried with its longer dimension extending vertically so that there will be no danger of the covers 11 and 12 becoming inadvertently open.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose the invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated specific form and arrangement, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific means disclosed, but may be embodied in other forms that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A traveling case for feminine use, comprising an elongated rectangular open top garment accommodating body portion, a closure member extendible over the top of said body portion, said closure member being hinged at one end to close said body portion when in one position and when in another position to provide an extending ironing board at one end thereof, a box-like receptacle forming a detached reinforcing bracket adapted and arranged when in use to support said closure member in its extended position, and a padded ironing board cover carried by said box-like receptacle when not in use to be slipped over said closure member and complete the ironing board when in use.

2. The invention as set forth in claim .1, characterized by the fact that said box-like receptacle is provided with slots at its ends into which the padded ironing board cover will extend to retain it in its reinforcing basket forming position when in use.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1, characterized by the fact that said closure member is divided longitudinally into two parts to provide for optional use as a wide ironing board for fiat wear and a narrow ironing board for garment sleeves and the like.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3, characterized by the fact that said garment accommodating body portion has a longitudinally extending partition providing 3 4 compartments in the traveling case comparable to the di- FOREIGN PATENTS mensions of said two ironing board forming portions. 89 254 5/1957 Norway.

References Cited DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 US. Cl. X.R. 3,326,337 6/1967 Bell "190-11 -1 

